Strong Together
by Abandoned-Account11
Summary: What happens when five supposedly 'useless' Pokemon team up to prove the world wrong? An adventure, that's what! When a Sentret, Rattata, Spearow, Bidoof, and Zubat are shoved together by fate, they decide to go on a journey to battle in the Kalos league- without a trainer! Follow the explorations of five unlikely companions as they face excitement, danger, and hardship together.
1. Desires

**Chapter 1**

 _ **Chisai's POV:**_

"Finish it up, Charmander! Use Ember one more time!"

There was a blast of hot fire, and the opposing Pokemon collapsed to the ground. The orange lizard standing victorious gave a triumphant, squeaky roar before leaping into its trainer's arms.

"That's my buddy! We really showed him, huh? Let's get out of here... the first gym isn't far!"

And just like that, the boy and his starter were gone. The little brown Pokemon they had practically decimated was forgotten in chatter, laughter, and promises of a gym badge to come.

"Woah. You got completely wrecked there, huh, Chisai? You alright?" another of the small Pokemon's species hurried up, pulling the other to his feet. Covered in scratches and his spirit crushed, he looked nothing like a tough starter. Just a pathetic creature trying to look powerful.

"I guess. Thanks, Scuttle, for hiding in the bush while I protected you. It was really helpful," the Pokemon, Chisai, glared at his companion. Scuttle looked away, thumping his tail against the ground a few times.

"Sorry... I was just really scared of that Charmander. It could breathe fire! The toughest thing I can do is scratch it," Scuttle tried to defend himself, but it was pretty hopeless. Chisai looked down at his smaller friend with an exasperated glower. However, he supposed that he couldn't blame him.

They were both Sentrets, a normal-type Pokemon that very few, if anybody, desired to own. They weren't very appealing, quite weak, and to round it all off, just useless in general. Chisai shook his head gloomily. Useless. That was the word. But he shrugged off his defeat with gusto, turning to face his friend. Instead of chiding Scuttle for his cowardliness, he simply flicked his tail, signaling him to follow. Together, the two Pokemon plodded into the brush, shoving past branches and jumping over logs. They picked up speed as they went along, chittering to one another about forest gossip. The friends knew the way back to their home by heart.

"Think we'll ever get caught? I'd love to have a nice trainer myself. Sure, the ones we usually meet are bullies, but not all trainers are terrible. I'd love to compete a Pokemon competition, honestly!" the smaller Sentret breathed hard in between words, slowing slightly as they neared home. Chisai laughed heartily.

"A trainer? Please. I'd prefer to live out my life in a forest even if somebody actually wanted me. Y'know, when I'm older, I'm planning to start my own warren. Find a few good does, settle down..." he trailed off, lost in thought. They ran on in silence for awhile longer before Scuttle added something else with a tiny grin.

"That sounds pretty nice. When you do, call me. I'll be right alongside you!" they both skittered to a stop, and the small one puffed out his fluffy brown chest. "I'm pretty tough, if I do say so myself! I'll protect you!"

The larger one didn't point out how he'd fled from the trainer and his fire-type starter like a Weedle from a hungry Spearow. Instead, he nodded and forced a smile of his own onto his face.

"That's good. We'll need..." he looked over the rather bony frame of his companion, "powerful... warriors like you."

"Thanks! You're awesome, Chisai!" he was positively beaming as he looked over the area they called home. It was a peaceful place, and Sentrets grazed here and there, others browsing from the berry bushes around the clearing. It sloped slightly upwards, and in that mild incline were dozens of holes. Burrows, you could call them.

"Back to the great Caterflight warren. Goodie," the larger of the two sighed. Scuttle looked over at him and chuckled squeakily.

"Race you to the Oran berry bushes!" he joked. Chisai dropped down to all fours and waved his tail in the air.

"Oh, you're on!" he growled playfully, and the two shot across the clearing towards the leafy bush, Chisai slightly behind. But behind that cheery smile was a sad heart.

Sometimes he just wanted to feel... powerful.

 _ **Setchi's POV:**_

"YAHHHHHHH!" a heavy _thud_ resounded throughout the forest as a body dropped to the ground. It had landed on its back, and now it rolled over and shook its bright purple fur free from grass and dirt.

It looked up, groaning loudly, for the Tamato berry it had been trying to reach was still attached stubbornly to a thin branch near the top.

"I-it's okay, Setchi. You don't have to get it for me... there's some pretty nice oak roots near our hole..." the tiny Rattata beside him, her fur a dull greenish color, looked up at him and smiled shyly.

"No, you asked if I could get it, and I'm going to get it. You're a growing little Rattata, and you need your strength. Oak roots won't do it!" Setchi replied determinedly.

"You just don't give up, do you, big bro?" she sighed. But behind the grumpy look, the young male could see happiness.

"Of course, Angel. Only the best for my baby sister!" he smiled as he attempted to climb the slick bark once again. And once again, he got close enough to touch it, and then he tumbled to the ground. With another sigh, he sat back on his haunches and cleaned off his two whiskers with thorough licks.

They were both Rattatas, normal-type rodents that absolutely everyone despised. Ever since their mother had been killed, Setchi, who was no older than a yearling, had done his best to take care of his shiny little sister, Angel. Ironically, even though she was shiny, nobody took any notice of her. Which was fine by him... he wanted nothing to do with humans or predator Pokemon.

He looked up angrily at the bright red, spiky berry that seemed to taunt him as it bobbed in the mild breeze.

"Come on, bro, let's go home. I bet I can whip together a really good mushroom pastie from the garden for us to share!" she nudged him in a friendly manner. The taller purple rodent smiled down at her and rumpled the fur on her small head.

"You've always been a great cook. I can't wait to try it!"

Angel scurried off, and Setchi watched her run for a moment. The limp in her right haunch was still clearly visible, but on the bright side, she seemed to be coping well. She didn't trip any more as far as he could tell. The Pokemon cast one last glance at the berry before following her.

Sometimes he just wanted to feel... needed.

 _ **Flit's POV:**_

The bird dove through the town, dipping in and out of buildings and skimming the shiny tops of Pokemon-drawn carriages. She squawked loudly, chanting her name in a long drawl of delight.

"WOOHOO! This is awesome! Look at these wings of mine go!" she gazed in admiration at her red wings, fluttering up and down faster than a rain-assisted Magikarp. She tucked them into her furry black body and dropped into a swift dive, her keening cry echoing everywhere.

"Do you guys see me, the great Flit? Check me out! Pretty neat, right? Not every flying-type can go this fa- OW!"

The bird was knocked out of the sky by a rock, and she careened towards the earth. With a loud clattering, she landed directly in an open trash can and shrieked. Pain shot up her left wing, which was pinned beneath a shattered brick. She yanked it free, jumped out of the trash can, and landed on its metal rim. But it wasn't very stable, and after a short teetering, the flying-type fell off onto the cold concrete.

"Haha! Score! That's my eighth Spearow today, guys! Did you see it fall? I totally got it mid-dive!" a masculine voice laughed. A few other raucous voices joined in, all talking at once. The bird could only hear bits and pieces of their haughty conversation.

"...crumpled into a ball!"

"Do you think it landed in the trash..."

"...wings! I mean, they're just a disgusting tint of red..."

"...try and hit another one!"

The voices slowly faded, and the bird struggled to her talons. She miserably spread out her left wing, which was scuffed up and bleeding. She heaved a sigh of relief when the trusty appendage assisted in lifting her from the ground. Just bad bruising, she suspected. She looked up at the sky, which was slowly becoming as red as her wing... or the blood on it... with the arrival of the sunset.

She, Flit, was a Spearow, a dully colored flying-type that people waved away when they passed by. They usually had awful temperaments and therefore tended to live alone, unlike most birds. And although Flit did her best to look cool, nobody seemed to notice her attempts.

"I guess they didn't like my flying..." she mumbled gloomily. She'd thought the dive to be one of her very best. Why had somebody knocked her down? She slowly flew out of the alleyway and headed high up to survey her sleeping options.

"Jerks. They just don't have any appreciation for talent. That's alright... others do, right? I'll just go sleep in that tree in the park for tonight. Get some rest. Unless the Pidgeys kick me out..." Flit slowly flew off.

Sometimes she just wanted to feel... admired.

 ** _Ago's POV:_**

"Nice job, dude! You knocked that tree down real nice!" a compliment rang out from the river. A fluffy brown Pokemon looked over, raising one stubby paw to wave good-naturedly.

"Thanks... uh... bro! Should I take it to the left or right corner of the dam?" he hollered, jumping up to put his front paws on the top of his fallen trunk and therefore see better. Even then, he had no idea who this other Pokemon was. They were of the same species, but that was all he could tell.

"The right! The left corner's pretty full at the moment!" the Bidoof replied loudly. He yelped as the floating log beneath him shifted, and splayed out his paws to get a better grip. It continued to float down the river towards a huge wooden structure in the distance.

"Alright, thanks!" the Pokemon, known as Ago, headbutted the tree with a grunt, and it rolled ever so slightly. He headbutted it again and again, and slowly it moved towards the lazy current. Before long, it splashed in. He jumped on top as it slowly headed towards the place he'd come to fondly call home.

Before long, his log bumped into other logs being held up by... something. Ago groaned audibly. Great. Traffic.

"Alright, I'm going have to sen your log down a side stream, whatever-your-name-is, because it's not quite long enough to fit in there. Go find a shorter one, ten hut! This dam won't build itself! Next log!" a Bibarel stood up on his hind legs, balancing precariously on a tiny grass island. He used his flat tail to steady himself.

A few logs later, it was Ago's turn. He floated into view of the Bibarel overseeing the work, who quickly ran his paws over the bark and snapped off a few twigs.

"Sorry, your log is TOO long. Put it down the middle stream, because we can definitely gnaw it down, whatever-your-name-is. Hurry! Night is coming soon, and when night comes we can't do work!" the larger Pokemon snapped. Ago rubbed his head in confusion with his paw.

"You don't know who I am?" he asked skeptically. The Bibarel sharply shook his head as he helped push his log away.

"Nope! Don't know who you are, nor do I care. I've got dozens of you to keep track of, I don't need to add names to the mix. Off you go!"

Ago's log floated downstream, and he looked at his reflection in the water gloomily.

He was a Bidoof, a despised Pokemon for its ugly appearance. It looked somewhat like a fat beaver. Nobody ever took the time to think about how hard they worked, day after day, building dams that were often destroyed by humans.

Sometimes he just wanted to feel... appreciated.

 _ **Kuro's POV:**_

It was pitch black in the cave, and the bat frequently ran into cold stone walls. But he didn't care. It wouldn't even matter if it was the middle of the day... he had no eyes. He couldn't see.

"Ow! That's the fourth time I've run into that same stupid stalagmite. I can't wait to evolve. Sure, the huge mouth sucks, but at least I'd have vision. I just want to be able to see a tasty Cutiefl- ow! AGAIN? Come on!" the Zubat also didn't care that he was talking to himself. Over the sound of hundreds of thousands of Zubats all screeching to 'see,' nobody noticed one that seemed mildly out of place.

He shot off another squawk, and a picture formed in his mind. It was just greenish lines on a black canvas, but it gave him an idea of where he was going. He dodged a few more rocks with clumsy wing beats, and suddenly began to fly in place as he smelled something delicious.

"Ooh! Neat! A little group of Cutieflies! I'm coming for you, bugs! You will fear the name Kuro!" he laughed, diving towards them. But abruptly, his presumed meal was mobbed by a dozen other Zubats, all screeching and hollering for the tiniest scrap and running into one another. Within fifteen seconds, every one of the bug-types was gone, and so were the Zubats, flying off to find more to fill their stomachs. Kuro was left flapping through the air, dumbfounded.

"Confound it! Why will nobody let me get a single bug for myself? I'm going to starve to death here... OW!"

Again, Kuro was knocked aside by a rather bold Zubat, who was flying up to snag a Cutiefly hiding in between two boulders. He sighed heavily, scenting the air for more food, and headed in the opposite direction.

"I'm just going to end up like three quarters of all the Zubats in the world... dead by starvation." he thought aloud miserably.

Kuro was a Zubat, a creature shunned from society for its irritating nature, commonness, and just all around weakness. Just like the other millions of Zubats in the world, he probably wouldn't live until a Golbat unless he was especially strong. Which he wasn't.

Sometimes he just wanted to feel... loved.

* * *

Unknown to all five of these despised, common Pokemon, perhaps they would all get what they desired, with a little help from each other...


	2. The Beginning of a Friendship

**Chapter 2**

 _ **Chisai's POV:**_

As the yearling Sentret balanced skillfully on his thick tail, he watched the never-ending line of trees in the distance. The night sky, dotted with sparkling stars, made for a beautiful view. But he could not afford to look away, for he was on sentry duty, and it was a job that was taken very seriously. The warren would all be paralyzed with fear and taken over by insomnia if there were no scouts to protect them. His black eyes glazed over with exhaustion, and his sturdy body wobbling from the pain of standing on his tail, he felt ready to collapse anyhow.

His gaze flickered to the other three Sentrets on duty, and one facing the same direction as him returned the glance. The two nodded curtly to one another and resumed staring mindlessly into the green foliage. Now, in his defense, Chisai had not been on sentry duty for quite a long time, so he was understandably less prepared when _it_ happened. But even then, it could have been prevented if only he'd peered a little bit harder into one of the surrounding bushes...

First it was just one.

The next time Chisai looked towards his fellow sentries, he saw only two of them. The one facing his direction, and one directly behind him some ways off. The far left sentry was gone. For a moment he was caught off guard. Had he seen something? A sentry on duty was not allowed to leave his position unless he was in mortal danger, defending the warren, or... or... the nervous Sentret relaxed. Obviously, he was switching with another Pokemon so that he could get some sleep. Chisai couldn't wait for that to happen to him.

Then another one was gone.

The young Sentret looked over perhaps five minutes later, and to his shock, the sentry behind him a few yards off had disappeared. And still, no Pokemon returned to replace the left sentry, either. Chisai, more confused than worried, looked over to question the Sentret with him.

But now he was gone, too!

Dropping to all fours with wide eyes, Chisai swung his head around, trying to see what was happening. Then, something lunged at him from a nearby bush. It was a very good thing that he had good reflexes, or he would have been killed right then and there. He shot to the right, barely dodging a massive body that hurtled straight at him, and turned to face the opposer.

It was a Mightyena!

All alarms blaring in his head, Chisai tipped his head back and let loose with a shriek that rattled the branches for a solid mile. He then cringed back and waited for those menacing jaws to close around him, but nothing came. It was then that he realized the huge Pokemon had been confused by his cry of warning. It shook its head a few times and growled in a low tone. He immediately shot off towards the nearest hole, chest heaving and heart racing. His life flashed before his eyes as he felt jaws that could crush bone close on the very end of his muscular tail. He screeched bloody murder, scrabbling against the ground, but to his utter horror, he was losing ground fast. In a final desperate attempt, he thrashed his tail about so hard, that with a sickening rip, a good three inches of his tail were raggedly bitten off!

He slipped into the familiar earthy tunnels that he'd come to call home, wincing as a steady stream of blood stained the soil below him, and wormed through them towards the Honeycomb, a huge chamber underneath the ground large enough to hold all the Sentrets and Furrets living in the Caterflight warren.

Already, dozens of shifting brown bodies clung to one another, whispering among themselves in nervous voices. They all looked up upon seeing Chisai arrive.

"You are the one who sounded the alarm, correct?" a deep voice rung out. The yearling looked up curiously to see who had spoken. As the sea of bodies parted, the Sentret realized with increasing alarm that it was the leader of the warren who had spoken. He was a Furret, the creamy rings around his gaunt body now tinted grey with age. He wore a twine necklace of broken seashells that had been stolen from a human many years back. It had been used to signify the current leader of the warren for who knows how long.

"I am, great Thicket the Wise. As far as I know, a pack of Mightyenas are attacking the warren. I believe that the other three scouts who were with me are dead. I alone escaped," Chisai made a deep bow, both out of respect for the fallen sentries and to signify his loyalty to the leader, as he said this. But beneath the calm voice was pure terror. He'd only been alive a year or so! He didn't want to die so early!

Everyone looked up as a massive crack appeared in the dirt ceiling, supported only by oak roots. Cries of alarm rose up, and a few tried to bolt for the holes. They all came back down seconds after going up, and slowly, the panic died down.

"The wolves are trying to dig their way in!" a doe shrieked as another crack rumbled through the Honeycomb. This sent almost all of them into a wild frenzy once again. The leader watched them reticently.

"I see. You've done well, scout," he nodded towards Chisai in appreciation before turning to the screaming mass. "Now, all of you listen well! We have had predators attack our home before. We've prepared for this. We will take the back tunnels through the forest and arrive in the safety of Santalune City. The kittens and their mothers go first, pregnant does next, and then the bucks. Let's move!" Thicket called out hoarsely. But his voice had an edge of firmness to it that made everyone around him listen.

Gathering themselves into a sort of shaky line, the Sentrets and Furrets of the warren began hurrying through the wide back passage that the father of Thicket, North Breeze the Silent, had taken the time to get built. They could fit four Sentrets side by side, which was twice the size of an average hole, and it led all the way from underneath the forest to Santalune City. He insisted that a day would come when they would be needed. Although he died before they needed to be used, now Chisai repeatedly thanked Arceus for giving North Breeze the wisdom to do so. He waited for the does to file out, anxiously scanning the crowd for Scuttle or another familiar face. But he saw no one. Soon, it was the bucks' turn. They all shoved and hollered at each other as they hurried down the huge tunnel, and Chisai's heart continued to pound.

As he finally forced himself up and out of the escape tunnel what seemed like hours later, he looked around and realized that the sun was slowly rising. They would not be able to stay long before the humans awoke, saw them, and either attempted to drive them out or use them for target practice. He knew that well enough.

The Pokemon were all causing enough of a ruckus with their loud, worried conversations anyways. He fell to grooming his bloody tail. It wasn't much of a cause for concern, except for the fact that such an appendage didn't grow back. He'd forever lose a quarter of his tail in a puckered scar. Chisai looked among the crowds once more for Scuttle, but he was nowhere to be seen. Where was his friend?

And just how late had his warning been?

 _ **Setchi's POV:**_

As the Ratatta turned over in his moss bed, eyes shut tightly, he twitched his whiskers and grunted. The restlessness continued in thrashing motions that completely tossed the green foliage around him into far corners. Then he awoke with a gasp, eyes wide and chest heaving. The fur along his neck bristled at a danger long gone. Slowly he forced his muscles to relax, and a discontent sigh escaped him.

Then he heard the rumbling. Looking up in confusion, Setchi could hear, just feet above him, the unfamiliar thudding of dozens of little paws shuffling their way through a tunnel. Unfortunately, the young Rattata had no idea why he heard the sounds above him. Sure, their burrow wasn't very far underground, but they were far too many and far too quiet to be human feet. He knew he'd have to investigate.

Setchi cast a fond look at his sister, who snored very gently. It was a sound that used to irritate him, but after his mother's death, few sounds were more calming to him than the sound of his little sister sleeping.

He slipped out of the small cavern and up the main tunnel, telling himself that Angel would be fine, and poked his muzzle into the air. He sniffed once, twice. Immediately, a scent floated into his sensitive nostrils.

The smell of dozens of Sentrets and Furrets.

Why were they active at night? Unlike most of the forest animals, they tended to forage during the day and sleep, with sentries on guard, at night. Something was off. Worried, he scented again for a predator.

Tamato berries, dew drops, a Linoone that had passed by quite awhile ago... and Mightyena! Very fresh Mightyena!

Of course. The two Pokemon species must have been fleeing down a certain tunnel from the vicious dark-types. And since they could smell so well, they'd probably follow them to the end of it.

Then, Setchi remembered something else and panicked. They had no second tunnel in the case that a predator tried to turn them out of their home. And if the Mightyena were't willing to chase down a bunch of Sentrets, they'd gladly settle for a few tender Ratattas. The purple rodent knew that he and his sister would have to go... and soon. He fled back down the tunnel and nudged Angel gently.

"We've got to go, Angel. Please wake up," he whispered. His little sister gave a tiny yawn, rolled over, and resumed her slumber. She didn't hear the urgent tone in his voice at all. Setchi groaned audibly, carefully placing his shiny sibling on his back, and set off up the tunnel.

If they were quick, they both might get out of this alive.

 _ **Chisai's POV:**_

Much too soon for the yearling, the sun began to climb into the sky and cast an eerie red glow over the sky. Humans would be awake soon, and they'd be forced to head back down tunnels they didn't know were safe, or be subject to the cruel wrath of the trainers.

Chisai looked up in surprise to see an exhausted figure limping its way into the mass of bodies. He noticed this one in particular because it had no cream or brown fur. The fur was purple and... green? He politely weaved through the others of his kind and approached the gasping rodent. It was a Rattata.

"Do you need any help? Are you hurt? You're certainly not a Sentret or a Furret," Chisai noted politely. He extended a paw in greeting, and the Rattata grasped it readily. His grip was strong for such a common normal-type.

"As much as I appreciate your concern for me, I think we'll be alright. It was a close one, though. They were right on our tails. A good thing I didn't see those blasted mutts, or I may have very well frozen up with fear. And that would be the end of both of us," the purple mammal replied gloomily. The yearling Sentret eyed him again, and noticed the little green creature he carried upon his back. It was a shiny Rattata, much younger than him. Perhaps no older than three months...

"I'm glad that you escaped. What might your names be? I'm Chisai," he nodded to his new acquaintance. The Rattata gave a tired smile.

"I'm Setchi, and my little sister here is Angel. Do you think we'll be able to go back into the forest soon? I-" Setchi stopped, wide-eyed.

"What is it?" Chisai asked, worried by his frightened look.

"Humans!" he hollered. Every single Sentret and Furret looked up, and noticing a human watching them, shot off in different directions, tearing instinctually towards holes that were not there. Unfortunately, Setchi alone did not run. He attempted it, but hampered by the weight of Angel, he more limped towards an overturned, empty wheelbarrow. But it was too late. From beneath a small table, Chisai saw feet clop towards the quailing Ratatta. The feet wore big, black boots laced up with gold trim.

"Ew, a Ratatta. I won't have these nasty creatures permeating our town with their disgusting droppings and outrageous eating habits. Begone, rodent!" a gritty voice snarled. He said _rodent_ with such a gleam of disgust that even Chisai cringed. But then he watched in horror as the boot came back to kick his newfound friend.

But even as it came forward, the Sentret did nothing at all. He was too frightened.

Setchi closed his eyes and waited for the blow, but it never came. For suddenly, the boots went stumbling backwards, and a hoarse voice yelled in surprise.

"What the... where did this Spearow come from? Ow! Stop pecking me! OW! I'm getting out of here!"

The boots left with loud stomps that slowly became quieter until they were gone altogether. Slowly, they all came out of hiding. Chisai rushed to Setchi with a worried look on his face. Even now, the rodent was still only just regaining his composure. He bristled with anger.

"Rodent... how dare he call me that with such an uppity tone! Outrageous eating habits? Does _he_ have teeth that never stop growing?" his eyes flashed with fury. Chisai was about to object, when a feminine voice jumped in dryly.

"Humans, I have found, are not exactly prone to looking at things in a positive light. They're quite the pessimists, actually. Are you alright, Ratatta?" a Spearow with sleek, multicolored feathers beat her red wings slowly as she hovered in place. One wing was streaked purple and black with an ugly bruise. The two looked up at her gratefully.

"Yes, thank you very much. My name's Setchi, this is my little sister Angel," he gazed at her again (astoundingly, she had managed to sleep through the entire ordeal) with a proud look, "and this is my new friend Chisai. You might be?"

"The great Flit, flying extraordinaire! I saved you, my dear fellow. That human was going to kick you into kingdom come, am I right? I pecked him real good, though! Maybe it wasn't very nice..." the Spearow replied, a bit ashamed.

"I'm sure glad you did, though, or we'd be carcasses," Setchi snorted. Chisai felt a twinge of anger for cowering in the corner like Scuttle, but he hid it well.

The Spearow landed among the three as the rest of the Sentrets and Furrets headed back in the bright daylight towards their tunnel. Mightyenas slept during the day and didn't hunt. Their presumed meal had escaped... for now.

"So, where do ya'll come from? Boy, I've got plenty of stories to tell you about where _I_ come from, if you want me to tell them... you know, we could be great friends, us three! So what do you say?" Flit asked eagerly. The Ratatta and Sentret looked at each other for a moment, but then Setchi extended a paw and smiled.

"If you want me to repay you with friendship for saving our lives, I'd only be happy to oblige! Friends?" the rodent said cheerfully. Flit landed on the ground to hold out her wing, and Chisai did the same.

"Friends!" they all agreed loudly at once.

And so, just like that, a lasting friendship began.


	3. Gathering Forces

**Chapter 3**

 _ **Ago's POV:**_

The forest was alive. As the Pidgeys twittered in the trees and the flowers danced in time with the wind, Ago plodded through the trees towards the river. His little paws left tracks behind in the moist earth. Before long, he reached the swift moving stream. There was a small pool that branched off from the rest of the water here, where the current slowed to almost a stop. Pebbles at the bottom shimmered in the sun as the beaver Pokemon waded into the shallows.

Ago calmly lapped at the water flowing beneath his paws, eyes half closed as his mind wandered. It wouldn't be long before work on the dam would begin, so he planned to enjoy his hour of freedom. After he'd finished getting a nice drink, he would go and find some nice berries in the trees around the river. Then, he would...

Ago was interrupted from thought as something splashed into the river, spraying water all over his soft brown fur. A Bidoof is almost never startled, but he became quite curious, and looked up to see what had caused the ruckus.

It was a Zubat, flopping in the current and desperately trying to stay afloat. The Bidoof immediately took action, lumbering through the calmer waters to paddle into the faster part. The current was too powerful to fight, and the Pokemon knew this. So, relying on experience and good swimming skills, Ago cut through the water effortlessly towards the floundering bat in a diagonal line. Then he seized it by one of its large ears and dragged it to shore.

"You okay, buddy? Zubats aren't really water-types," the beaver chuckled to the sputtering flying-type. It sprawled out on the ground, looking quite pathetic. After coughing raucously, it looked up, pulling its round head up at an awkward angle.

"Thanks, I-" the Zubat hacked up some more water before continuing, "didn't mean to go swimming, though. If you can't tell, I don't have eyes. Kind of hard to see how close you are the river when you're blind, eh? Mind tossing me off of something so I can get into the air again?"

The Bidoof stared at him, but obligingly dragged him up to the top of a small rock. All the while, the Zubat struggled and growled, doing his best not to complain. Then he shoved him off of the boulder. The blue Pokemon then flapped its soggy wings and clumsily took to the air.

"Thanks for that. Usually, if one of us crash-lands, it's a dead stop for him. He can't get up because he doesn't have any feet. Life sucks when you're a Zubat. But, anyways, the name's Kuro. And you might be?" Kuro asked gruffly. Ago raised an eyebrow and scuffed the ground with his two front paws.

"No problem!" he gazed over the bat again, "And... I... I'm behind you," the Bidoof said politely, for the Zubat was facing the opposite direction. Kuro immediately swung around, flattening his ears.

"I knew that," he lied terribly. Ago rolled his eyes.

"Mhm. Well, I'm Ago. Nice to meet you, Kuro..." the Bidoof suddenly looked up in surprise, hearing a faint voice in the distance.

"Get your lazy tails back to camp, everyone! Time to finish this dam!" it hollered. Ago slowly backed up, to the confusion of Kuro.

"Hey, why're you going so soon? I barely ever get to talk to anybody!" the Zubat protested.

"Sorry, I've got to get to working on the dam. Or else our lead Bibarel will kill me," he replied glumly. Kuro was silent for a moment, then his toothy mouth widened into a crooked grin.

"You kidding? I've seen enough of your place at night to know that there are dozens of you. That Bibarel can't remember _all_ of your names, can he?" he snorted.

Ago considered Kuro's proclamation for a moment.

"Well... he doesn't know any of our names. Come to think of it, he doesn't even acknowledge us as individuals! Nor does he consider the fact that we might have feelings. In fact, he's also quite rude... and does almost no work himself on top of it! He just judges all of ours..." all the resentment Ago had against the lead Bibarel began to spill out of his mouth, and although he showed no outward sign of it, he was smoldering with anger.

"Why don't you come with me? I've had it with being treated like an object, too. That's why I was so far away from the caves and near this river. I'm leaving my flock. We'll do better off together than as part of a whole. Because when you are, nobody knows _who_ you are, y'know?" Kuro replied eagerly.

"You know what? You're right. I don't need them! I've had it with fetching logs for his majesty. I can build whatever I want whenever I want!" Ago said determinedly. And just like that, his mind turned inside out. He decided to stop being a follower and become a leader instead.

"That's the spirit, Ago!" squawked the Zubat. He fired off an echolocation blast and then came almost face to face with Ago.

"You ready to take on the world, bro? We'll prove them wrong!" Kuro grinned. And even though he had no eyes, the Bidoof could sense that if he did, they would be sparkling.

"Heck yeah! Let's show 'em wrong!" he held out a paw, and Kuro slapped it with his leathery wing.

 _ **Flit's POV:**_

The lithe bird followed her two new companions from above, swooping through the air towards the Caterflight warren. She couldn't see them, as they were underground, but they'd agreed to meet back at the warren, which Flit had seen before. She tucked her wings into a dive, determined to succeed, as she had never managed to complete one smoothly. They always ended in wobbly jerking motions or a sharp turn that ruined the perfectly straight drop.

The wind whipped her feathers, and she kept her eyes wide open as she shot towards the green below her. She ever-so-slightly extended her streamlined wings, breathing in deeply. The ground was approaching fast.

"Ride like the wind! Woohoo! Eat this!" Flit instantly spread her red wings out to their full length... and watched as she jerked to the left involuntarily and shot into the trees with a screech of horror. She barely avoided running into a tree, and slowed considerably until she could flap in place. She sighed miserably. Why did she always fly off in random directions when she tried to dive? She didn't understand. She slowly flittered into the clearing of the warren, watching as Setchi, Angel, and Chisai clambered out of one of the holes in the side of the hill. The Sentret waved invitingly to Flit, and she forced a smile as she swooped down to join them.

"Hi, there! Look who's awake!" the bird twittered in a friendly manner to Angel. The green youngster trembled and immediately jumped behind Setchi, who looked concerned. Flit frowned. "I, uh, sorry, little one. I didn't mean to scare you..."

Setchi laughed softly.

"You're fine, Flit. She just gets scared of strangers sometimes. She warms up pretty fast. Don't you, my lil' sis?" the purple rodent sat back on his hind legs and picked her up, tickling her head with his whiskers. Angel giggled, snuggling against his fur.

"Aww!" Flit sighed admiringly. Chisai just snorted. The Spearow was silent for a moment, then she pounded her curled talons into the soil, startling the other three.

"It's not fair! Those Mightyenas have been ruling this entire forest for what seems like forever. Poor little Angel shouldn't have to see all this violence in the world. Not when she's so young. Chisai, I can smell the Mightyena on you. I may just be a bird, but those nasty wolves reek. You got your tail bitten off by one, right? We shouldn't let this continue. Those bullies need to be stopped. What if the three of us worked together to stop them?" Flit asked determinedly. Chisai and Setchi looked at each other and then burst into laughter.

"What do we look like, Dragonites? We can't take on a dozen Mightyena! Not in a million years! We're just... commons. Weaklings," the Sentret replied. Setchi nodded his head slightly.

"Chasai's right, Flit. We're no elite trainer's Pokemon. As much as I don't want Angel to see all of it, I'm not strong enough. None of us are," the purple rodent sighed. Angel just looked up at him adoringly, seemingly immune to all other conversing. Flit then put both wings down firmly on Chisai's shoulders, startling him.

"Hey! Watch where you're-" he began.

"Now you listen to me! Don't you _dare_ say that you're just a weakling! Yes, we're common. No, we're not the most beautiful Pokemon in the world. BUT! We can be strong if we just stop listening to what the world says to us. You're just like all the other Sentrets in the world right now. You believe that you're a weakling just because everyone SAYS you are! But are you, Chisai? Are you really a weakling? Or are you just submitting like a scared Lillipup? Tell me!" the Spearow's voice rose in anger as she went. The others looked up from their foraging to see what in the world was going on.

Chisai was speechless at the bird's sudden outburst, and even though Setchi had not been subject to it, so was he. They both stared in shock at the furious bird.

"I... you're... I..." the Sentret stuttered. And as if she couldn't get any more dramatic, Flit pecked him right in the stomach, bowling him to the ground. Growling, Chisai leapt up and launched himself at Flit. The two began to scuffle, shrieking unintelligible phrases at one other. Immediately, Setchi set down a terrified Angel and jumped in between the two with a flurry of claws.

"Woah! Calm down, you two!" he yelped, knocking both of them in opposite directions with a well-aimed scratch. The Sentret and the Spearow both glared viciously at one another.

"He didn't tell me, Setchi! Are you just being a coward, Chisai? Are you? I've had enough of it. We need to fight back!" she hissed.

"Flit, you're right," the Sentret finally sighed.

"No! That's not the-" she stopped, surprised. "Wait, I am?"

"Yeah. We do need to fight back. I always told myself I was weak. You're right... we need to try. I won't let these Mightyenas attack my warren again. Not after what happened..." Chisai looked over into the distance. Underneath a gnarled oak tree, three rocks marked the spot of the three scouts who had died last night. Flit and Setchi bowed their heads for a moment.

"What about you, Setchi? Will you fight with us?" Flit asked, a determined gleam in her eye. The rodent hung his head shamefully, clutching his sister close.

"No. Not with Angel around. I one hundred percent agree with you, Flit, it's just that I refuse to leave her alone... she needs me. Look what you two did! She's terrified of you two now!" he protested. Angel trembled beneath his grasp, tail limp. Flit looked like she was about explode again, but she took a deep breath and settled herself.

"I'm sorry, Setchi. Very well. Think you can find any other Sentrets who'll help us fight?" Flit looked back at him. He nodded and smiled.

"Most of us are wimpy, but I know a few who'd stand and fight. Those Mightyenas will be back for a second bite, I can assure you. But the only thing they'll be biting when we're through with them is the dust!" he smirked. Flit pumped a wing into the air.

"That's the spirit! Let's do this!" she cawed roughly. The two scurried off towards the holes. The purple rodent sighed, lifting his sister up onto his back as the other two departed.

"Why won't you fight, big bro? It's only right!" once the other two were out of hearing range, she immediately piped up.

"Yeah, but I think you'd like me more as a brother if I remained in one piece. Flit's reckless, it's easy to tell. And she's got that weird vibe that drags anybody around her into her hothead ideas. They'll be dead by morning, I can assure you. Let's go home," Setchi said quietly.

"But-!" she squeaked.

"I don't want to hear it, Angel! I know the difference between bravery and stupidity!" he replied sharply. As the shiny Rattata resided on Setchi's back, he didn't notice the crestfallen look that appeared on her tiny muzzle.

Setchi trekked off into the trees, ignoring the sounds of laughter and chatter behind him.


	4. The Journey Begins!

**Chapter 4**

 _ **Flit's POV:**_

As the Spearow tweaked a piece of grass in her beak, she watched the preparations with interest. She muttered to herself about type advantages as Chisai flung himself headlong towards the bird. He landed on his belly with a _thump_ and looked up at her.

"Success! I managed to find five Sentrets, my friend, Scuttle, and a gutsy Furret who all want to help!" he panted. Flit sighed heavily, much to the confusion of the smaller Pokemon.

"Is that not-" he began. The bird cut him off with a wave of her wing.

"No- uh- that's great. The real problem is- that- we have no idea when those stinking mutts will arrive. They've got the benefit of surprise..." the flying-type lied as she mulled over various ways of action. Chisai just rolled his eyes.

"We'll be fine, Flit. They're humongous wolves, I'm sure that they can't hide that easily!" he pointed out.

"Tell that to the three scouts you lost," she shot back. Words failed the Sentret for a moment.

"Too far. I'm sorry," she apologized. But the damage had already been done. His energy seemingly sapped from him, he cast a glance at the holes.

"I'm going to go get them," he mumbled gloomily. He scurried off and disappeared down one of the tunnels. Flit groaned to herself. Great. She'd just totally destroyed the Sentret's determination. She took to the air, looking around intently for any suspicious figures. She saw none, so she returned to the grass just as Chisai came back, leading a rather ragtag group of fidgeting Pokemon behind him. Flit stared at them like she might stare at a pile of Buneary droppings.

"These are all we've got?" she complained, tail feathers twitching. The six cowering creatures all looked up at her, and the Furret straightened himself up.

"With all due respect, ma'am, we're much tougher than we look!" he exclaimed, pounding his fluffy chest with a paw. The other five Sentrets nodded their agreement, shouting that they were ready to fight. Flit stared at them for awhile longer.

"Well, I appreciate the offer-" the Spearow began. While she was reluctantly explaining to them how the attack would go about, Chisai suddenly looked up and twitched his ears. He could have sworn he'd heard something. Something charging up. He desperately wished he could stand on his tail, but that ability was forever lost thanks to the jaws of a Mightyena. He sniffed the air instead. Was something burning? It was almost like a Pokemon was using...

"HYPER BEAM!" the small Sentret shrieked. He tore off towards the tunnels instinctually, and, realizing the danger, the others quickly followed. Flit was left standing in the dust, blinking with confusion.

"Why did you all leave?" she asked meekly.

Then everything went white.

 _ **Kuro's POV:**_

"Hold still up there! You've got to remember that I don't have eyes. Or super strength!" the bat complained as Ago struggled to stay on top. The Bidoof remained silent, but he loosened his grip on the Zubat's back. They flew clumsily through the air, a strange sight to all the people in Santalune city below. People were shouting and pointing, but Kuro and Ago ignored them. They made slow progress towards the forest on the opposite side of the city.

"Are you sure that the forest is the best place to go to start a new life? I was thinking... I don't know... a Pokemon daycare. We could go drop ourselves off in a basket and act piteous, y'know?" the small brown Pokemon said wistfully. The Zubat just snorted.

"Do you even know what happens at Pokemon daycares?" Kuro asked dryly. Ago eyed him curiously.

"No, I don't. What happens?" he asked. The flying-type just shook his head and snickered.

"Innocent minds, eh? Anyways, we're almost there," the bat hummed. Suddenly, he screeched to a halt so quickly that Ago nearly fell off. The beaver dug his claws into his companion's back to gain a grip.

"What happened?" he asked in confusion. The Zubat shook his head.

"Are you blind or something? I don't even have eyes, and I saw that huge flash. I think that was a Hyper Beam!" Kuro worried.

"Should we go check it out?" Ago asked. Kuro nodded his assent, and the two swooped towards the ground. The bat hovered low enough to the ground that Ago was able to hop off, and then they both stared at the pandemonium.

"Holy Arceus! What's going on here?" the Zubat sputtered. Mightyena were running every which way, chasing Furrets and Sentrets all over the place. Ago backed up, eyes narrowed.

"Let's get out of here," the Bidoof murmured. Suddenly, a flash of green caught his eye. He saw a tiny Ratatta, presumably shiny, racing across the open field with a determined look in her eye. She was headed straight for the biggest, nastiest-looking Mightyena of the bunch, who had cornered a pair of whimpering Sentrets against a tree. Her paws flew across the ground as she jumped up onto the back of the wolf. She chomped down viciously on his shoulder, and it howled in pain before smashing the tiny body against a tree. The shiny Pokemon fell to the ground and lay still. Meanwhile, the Sentrets fled for their lives.

"We've got to help all these Pokemon!" Kuro flew forward, fluttering wildly towards the scarred wolf. It looked up and sent a Dark Pulse straight for him.

"Kuro, wait!" Ago waddled after him, desperate to assist him in the unplanned attack. Meanwhile, the Zubat countered the dark beam with an Air Cutter attack, and they both collided in smoke. He took advantage of this and dove down, opening his mouth wide for a Poison Fang attack. He clamped down right over the tiny Ratatta's bite marks, sending venom through the Mightyena's system. It stumbled and then growled, snapping its jaws closed over Kuro's wing and sending him flying into a tree trunk.

Meanwhile, the Bidoof used Hyper Fang, aiming for the wolf's neck. He dodged, sending the clumsy beaver tumbling. Ago struggled to his feet and turned to attack again, but the Mightyena leapt at him with a vicious Crunch attack. He closed his eyes and waited for death, but suddenly, a glowing wing came from nowhere and sliced into the wolf's jaw, leaving a nasty wound. By now the wolf had decided he'd had enough of being bullied, so he tucked his tail beneath his legs and ran off into the trees. The three who had attacked together all collapsed, breathing heavily. It took awhile before they were all able to get to their feet and stare at each other.

"You're welcome," the Spearow who had used Wing Attack said. Then, not waiting for a reply, she looked around worriedly.

"Chisai? You here?" she twittered. A Sentret leapt out of a tree and landed with a thump, then looked up skeptically at the Zubat and the Bidoof.

"Um, who are they?" he asked. The bird shrugged.

"They were-" her eyes suddenly flew wide open, and she hopped over the limp body of the Ratatta and nudged it.

"Angel!" Chisai cried, running over and picking up the shiny. His tail, which both of them noted was chewed off at the tip, lashed back and forth. He inspected her all over and breathed a sigh of relief.

"Is she okay?" Ago asked, inching closer.

"Just unconscious. She received a blow to the head when that jerk wolf knocked her against the tree. A few bruises, nothing more," the Sentret spoke like a Nurse Joy might. Then he softly laid her back out on the grass.

"Why did she attack that wolf? And where the heck is Setchi? I thought he was trying to keep her _out_ of trouble!" the Spearow tweeted angrily.

"I don't know to both questions. But one thing's for sure, he's going to be mad as heck when he finds out Angel's hurt," Chisai swayed on both paws. There was a fiery look in his eyes.

"Should we leave?" Ago asked meekly. Suddenly, the others all looked into the distance.

"Too late," snorted the flying-type. A purple rodent flung himself into view, shoving the Sentret away to grab Angel in his arms.

"No, no, no... I told her not to come back... this all your fault, Flit! You put the idea into her head that fighting was a good idea! Now she's dead! And now I-" the normal-type despaired, hugging the shiny tightly. Flit slapped him, to the shock of all.

"You calm down, Setchi the Drama-maker! Angel's FINE. You heard Chisai. She's just unconscious. But anyways, at least she's tougher than you," Flit growled. Setchi glared back, but behind the glower was confusion.

"I've got to agree with her here, dude. You let her run into battle and hid behind a tree while she did it. How can you call yourself her brother?" the Sentret shook his head in disbelief. Settee hung his own head.

"You're right. I should've..." he began.

"Um, I don't mean to pry, but who are all of you?" Kuro butted in as he fluttered in place. The other three stared at him.

"If you must know, the name's Flit, and this over here is my buddy Chisai. The poor little Rattata is Angel, and her big brother, Setchi, has just earned the title of Wimp of the Century," the Spearow hissed.

"Well, I'm Kuro. And this guy here is my bro, Ago. A pleasure to meet both of you... we also saved Angel, by the way," the Zubat said proudly to Setchi.

"Don't be rude, Kuro! Anyways, why were you all attacking the Mightyena instead of running? That was pretty foolish of you," Ago pointed out. Flit rolled her eyes.

"Says the Pokemon who just went one-on-one with the alpha. But yeah... it was pretty dumb of us. I can't believe I actually thought we could take on the entire pack," she said miserably. Chisai patted her on the back sympathetically.

"It was a noble effort, Flit. At least we tried," he said.

"Yeah, but we also failed. The Caterflight warren is history," she said, shrugging off his touch as if it were a Beedrill.

"You want to get stronger, then?" Kuro wondered aloud. Flit nodded fiercely.

"You bet I do! My losses are just the beginning! It's just so hard for a common like me to find a trainer, you know?" she sighed. The Zubat gave a toothy grin and looked around at all of them.

"Are you kidding? We don't need a trainer. We can go fight all the gyms ourself!" he snorted. The others all stared at him.

"Um... you technically need a trainer to challenge the league. Besides, how could we ever win? It's a crazy idea!" Ago frowned at him.

"Aw, boo hoo. We can cross that bridge when we come to it!" the bat replied casually.

"Well... I'm all for crazy! If it'll help me get strong enough to protect this forest, I'll go with him," Flit agreed. She stepped next to him and smiled. The flying-type grinned back.

"If it would help me get strong enough to defend Angel here..." he looked down wistfully at the shiny in his arms, then back up at Kuro, "then I'll come, too."

"We'll just fail, like we did in defending the warren," snorted Chisai. The bat glared at him, then fluttered so close that they were face to face. The Sentret recoiled from his bug-scented breath.

"Yeah, we'll fail. We'll fail A LOT. But you know what you should do when you fall a thousand times? You should get up again a thousand times. It's called 'perseverance' and you ought to learn what it is!" the common said indigently. Flit squawked happily.

"That's what I'm talking about, Kuro! You are my kind of travel partner!" the bird's spirit seemed to have returned. His face a mask of determination, Setchi nodded at well.

"It wouldn't hurt to try, Chisai and Ago... please come with us!" the rodent nodded firmly. Ago looked at the bundle in his paws.

"And what will you do with Angel, then?" he asked. Setchi faltered for a moment, then straightened up.

"I'll take her with me. I won't let her battle, but I refuse to leave her. Maybe this could be a learning experience for her!" he said eagerly as he petted the soft head. Ago sighed loudly.

"Alright. I'll come, but only because all of you are going. Got it?" he muttered. They all turned to Chisai, who was the only one remaining.

"I... wh..." he looked at all of them and then groaned, "Oh, fine. I'll go... but I'm telling you, this is a bad idea."

"There is no such thing as a bad idea. Just poorly executed _awesome_ ideas!" Flit grinned. The others all cheered her on for her wisdom.

"It's settled, then! Together, we will take on all the gyms in the Kalos region. We'll start with the Santalune city gym, which isn't far at all!" Kuro squawked merrily.

"Hm!" the others nodded their affirmatives at the same time.

Together, the five companions set off towards the closest city with high hopes and mixed feelings.


	5. The First Battle - Part 1

**Chapter 5**

"So this is the Santalune Gym, eh? Looks kinda fancy," Flit drew her talons across the front of her neck to remove an itch and gazed curiously at the bright green walls and the huge windows. A sweet scent drifted from the inside, drawing the ragtag team of Pokemon closer to the doors. Chisai stopped them with a slap of his tail against the cold pavement. He winced at the pain, but quickly turned around to face his companions.

"Hold on! I know we all agreed to this, but are we really ready? We're just going to waltz into a human structure without a trainer. They might consider us an infestation!" he sputtered. Flit rolled her eyes and pushed past him. The others followed.

"Come on, you big baby. We've got Pokemon to battle!" she squawked. The others gave a sort of halfhearted cheer, and the Sentret groaned as he trudged slowly behind them. His tail dragged against the ground.

"This is a terrible idea..." he muttered. He was the last one through the doors, and it closed with a squeak on his tail. With a yell that rattled the windowpanes, Chisai skittered after his companions.

Soon, the six of them emerged into a humid, jungle-like climate. Their fur and feathers began to cling to them, and they more stumbled than marched out into a dust-covered battlefield. Plants surrounded the perimeter of the field, and they waved in a breeze that was not there. They huddled together in a frightened manner.

"I'm starting to have second thoughts," Setchi sighed, holding Angel closer. The frightened babe had not spoken a word since they had begun their journey, and the rest had begun to think her a great bore. She simply clung to the purple rodent's back and made odd noises every now and then. But she was present and young, so the others did their best to make her feel welcome. Yet she let none of them get near her. Not like Setchi would let them.

"Okay, okay. Calm down, everyone. Where's the gym leader?" Ago asked inquisitively.

"Does anybody even know what she looks like?" the Ratatta sighed. The others shook their heads.

"All I know is that her name is..." Chisai began. Suddenly, he was interrupted as a trainer took a corner and noticed them. She had short blonde hair that curled at the ends and sparkling green eyes, as well as a white shirt and black pants. Two Pokeballs hung on a belt at her side. She looked at them and smiled brightly.

"Hello, there, trainer! Have you come to battle my- um, where is your owner?" the human looked around with confusion. The Pokemon immediately organized themselves into a line by some sort of unknown instinct, and Flit stepped forward.

"We're here to challenge your gym, lady! And you best fear us, because we're the toughest rumblers you'll ever battle!" she proudly declared. The trainer raised an eyebrow and crossed her arms over her chest.

"I don't know what you're saying, but I'm not sure I like it. I'm afraid I'm going to have to see you out. You need a trainer to battle here. It's the rules... sorry. Surskit, come on out and use Signal Beam!" she said, tossing a red and white sphere into the air. A blue Pokemon materialized and squeaked triumphantly as it shot a sinister beam of light towards all of them.

Next thing they knew, they were sprawled out on their rumps outside again. They all slowly got to their feet, wincing painfully.

"I told you that wasn't going to work! Viola won't let us in without a human!" Chisai stamped a foot against the ground.

"I'm going to presume Viola is the gym leader?" Ago asked gloomily.

"I vote for abandoning this stupid venture. Angel's had enough for today. We're lucky that we didn't get our fur singed off, anyway," Setchi nodded.

"You all give up too easy!" Kuro glowered. He could glare very well, even without eyes. Perhaps it was how he positioned his ears.

"I'm going to side with Setchi and Chisai here. This isn't going to work out," Ago mumbled.

"Yeah, Ago's right! Now listen, bud, we've got the group opinion here-"

Flit watched the argument go back and forth with narrowed eyes. She suddenly took to the air, sending dust whirling in every direction, and let loose a terrible squawk of anger. That got their attention. They all stared at the furious flying-type, who stared back with equal menace.

"Alright, all of you chill out! I've got an idea to get Viola to think we have a trainer. All we need to do is find a few things..."

* * *

"This is a really stupid idea. No human is this gullible!" Chisai complained as he hid in the darkness.

"Worth a shot, right?" came Flit's muffled voice in return. The heavy cloak covering them shifted, and there was a wild yell as they all teetered.

"Steady, Ago, steady!" Kuro squeaked. There was a grunt, and they righted themselves.

"Sorry!" came the apologetic whisper of the Bidoof.

Four of the Pokemon, excluding Flit and Angel, had stacked themselves on top of one another with Kuro perched at the top. Ago was at the bottom, walking on stilts. Then, the Spearow had covered them with a stained sweatshirt and jeans. Using the stilts to keep the jeans up and pulling the hood forward to hide the bat's face, they had managed to make a somewhat realistic human manikin.

"This is not going to work. I swear by whatever remains of my poor tail," the Sentret muttered.

Nobody answered him, so he fell silent. Then, with a languid shuffle of his paws, Ago began to move the dummy forward. It tottered back and forth on the flimsy branches they had used for stilts, but it slowly moved in the general direction of the gym.

"I can't see!" the beaver complained as he ran into a pole. This received annoyed shouts from all. From outside the shirt, someone shushed them.

"Stop talking, all of you! Viola's going to think this trainer's got split personalities if you keep this up. And Ago, that's why I'm here, you moron. Just tell me you're ready for directions! Now, move a little to the left..." Flit peered out from behind the manikin's head. The bird had perched herself on the figure's shoulder, as a doting Pokemon might do with its trainer. From here she could safely direct the beaver towards the Santalune gym. Angel, on the other hand, had been told to stay beneath a bush. Setchi had given her a Tamato berry to keep her busy in the meantime.

"Uh... guys? I'm the one right next to the stain. And I have a horrible feeling that it's ketchup," Kuro whimpered. Flit rolled her eyes and pressed her head to the side of the hood.

"What's so bad about ketchup, you moron? YAH! Go to the right, Ago, or you're going to fall into the bushes!" the flying-type squawked frantically. The dummy made a sharp turn and continued on its way.

"I'm allergic to it!" he squeaked in defense.

"How can one be allergic to ketchup? It's just... ketchup. You've put up with it for ten minutes, anyway, I'm sure you can wait a little bit longer. We'll beat this gym easily. It's only the first one, after all!" the Spearow twittered her reply. Then she once more focused on directing Ago.

After what seemed like hours, the manikin had made its way up the steps and into the stifling chaparral once again. They clumsily made their way to the field, and Kuro used his wing to raise the sleeve of the figurine. There was no hand at the end, but it looked relatively real.

Nobody came to challenge the 'trainer,' so Flit took desperate measures.

"Speeeeearrrrr!" she called out, swooping into the middle of the battlefield to raise up dust. Once she'd made a decent-sized tornado, she let it drop with an ominous _whoosh._ The silence was quickly abandoned as Viola arrived from a side path, mumbling to herself.

"What in the world was... huh? Who are you?" the gym leader looked up in surprise. She looked over the dummy and frowned.

The tension quickly became thick enough to cut with a butter knife. Flit landed on the manikin's shoulder once more and gave a halfhearted squawk, as if it would prevent her from bowling them out with Surskit's Signal Beam. Heat sent a few lone droplets of sweat down the gym leader's face, and she finally relaxed her muscles and stood on her respective end of the field with a smile.

"I suppose you're here to challenge my gym, young trainer! You must be the owner of those Pokemon that came in here earlier. Sorry I blew them out of here... I guess they're aching for revenge now. What's your name?" Viola chuckled. All the Pokemon breathed sighs of relief. She'd bought the disguise!

On the other hand, one problem remained- none of the Pokemon could speak english.

"What're we supposed to do now? She can't interpret Pokespeak!" Ago fretted.

"Don't say anything at all. Let's just say our trainer is the strong and silent type," Setchi suggested.

"Smart!" Kuro whispered in relief. The bat proceeded to make the dummy shake its head slightly. He then deftly moved his wing up the right sleeve and pointed it out towards Viola.

"Not one to talk? That's quite alright. I'll gladly blow all of your Pokemon back out of this gym again! Surskit, come on out!" she declared eagerly. A tiny blue Pokemon arrived in a flash of white. It raised its two front legs and cheered loudly.

"Hello, Spearow! I'm Blu! What's your name?" he asked as he bounded around in the dust.

"I'm Flit. But save the friendly talk for after our gym battle, will you? We're here to destroy you!" Flit smirked. Blu just smiled.

"We'll see about that! May the best Pokemon win!" the Surskit said. It skittered back towards its trainer and waited patiently.

"Yeah, whatever. I'm going first!" she took to the air, sending more dust whirling.

"So, you choose your Spearow? Right, then! Let's do this! Surskit, use Ice Beam and spruce up the field!" Viola's hand spiked into the air. Blu immediately responded by shooting a freezing pulse at the ground. The field was quickly covered in sparkling ice. Flit looked down and snorted.

"Was... that supposed to do something?" she asked.

"As long as your owner isn't a flying-type trainer, it will come in handy later. Isn't he going to tell you to use a move?" Blu asked inquisitively. Flit cast a glance at Kuro beneath the hood.

"Um... Kuro? Just make some sort of a movement..." she tweeted in a quiet voice. The bat made the dummy nod, then Ago made it take a few wobbly steps forward.

"Good enough! Yahoo!" Flit shot forward, glowing blue as she raced at the bug-type.

"I think that's Aerial Ace... counter with Sticky Web!" the gym leader nodded.

"Hah! Eat this, bird!" Blu shot a few small webs at Flit. But she easily dodged them, slamming into the blue Pokemon with relish. Blu was knocked backwards, skating across the ice towards his trainer.

"Surskit! Are you alright?" Viola asked in concern. Blu nodded his head.

"Of course!" he said sharply.

"Right, then! Bubble Beam!"

Blu shot a stream of bubbles towards the fluttering bird. Exactly at the same time, Kuro knocked both of the sleeves together, as if saying to demolish the Surskit.

"Mirror Move!" Flit sang out. Glowing white for a moment, a pulse of bubbles came from her own beak.

The two attacks raced towards one another, each threatening to destroy the opposer.


End file.
